Common genetic variants and the role they play in breast cancer have been popular topics in scientific journals lately. I recently mentioned a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found women with 14 of the genetic markers associated with breast cancer had 6.3 times the risk of breast cancer as women with none of the markers. “A few susceptibility alleles may distinguish women who are at high risk for breast cancer from those who are at low risk,” the study determined.
Now comes more research that supports the notion that analyzing a woman’s genes can be a useful weapon to add to the arsenal physicians and patients have in the battle against breast cancer.
Scientists had already established that there are several environmental links to breast cancer, including a woman’s age at first period, her family history and current age. Recently, researchers have had the tools to start identifying the other pieces of the puzzle – genetic risk factors.
If you’re a woman in your 20s or 30s, you probably haven’t had a mammogram. The people who calculate the need for medical tests figure it’s not worth it to screen most women at such a relatively young age.